Refrigerating apparatus



May 19, 1931, R. H. cHlLToN REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 20. 1926Patented May 19, 19

t. l PH H. CHILTON, F DAYTON', OHIO, ASSIGNOR, BY MESE ASSIGNMENTS, T0AIRE CORPORATION, A CORPURATION 0F DELAWARE OFFICE FRIGDJ- BEFRIGERATINGAPPARATUS Application led November 20, 1926. Serial No. 149,771.

This invention relatesto cooling unitsfor mechanical refrigerators, andmore particularly to cooling units which are adapted tobeinstalled inrefrigerating'cabinets of the household type. However, it is to beunderstood that the lpresent invention may belowing description,reference being had to the p accompanying drawings, wherein a preferredform of the present invention is clearly shown. In the drawings:

l' Fig. 1 is a front view of a refrigerator cabinet with the doors openin order to show the lfood compartment and a cooling unit within acooling compartment;

Fig. 2 is a view on a larger scale than Fig. 1, showing the front viewof the cooling unit which is suspended within the cooling compartment ofa cabinet, the walls of whlch are shown in vertical section; and

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the cooling unit drawn to the same scaleas Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, designates a refrigerator cabinet whichprovides an L-shaped food compartment 21 separated from a' coolingcompa-rtment 22-by a-'horizontal partition 23 and a vertical partition 24.The partition 24 is provided with aflue25, admitting relatively warm airfrom the food compartment 21 to the cooling compartment 22; and thepartition 23 is provided with a flue 26, admitting cooled air from thecompartment 22 to the compartment 21. The partition 23 supports a baffle27 which prevents moisture dripping from the cooling unit above fromentering the flue 26. The baille 27 directs such moisture upon the uppersurface of the 'partition 23, and this moisture ins conducted awaythrough a drain ipe 28.

The cooling unit located wit in the coolingcompartment 22, includes aboiler or header 30 attached to the top wall of the cabinet by bracketmembers 31 and 32. Condensed refrigerant is conducted to the header 30from a compressor and condenserv (not shown) through a pipe 33 and afitting 34. Refrigerant is admitted from the fitting 34, as needed, by afloat-controlled valve (not shown), of suitable construction, locatedwithin the header 30. Expanded refrigerant is conducted back to thecompressor through a fitting 35 and a pipe 36. The refrigeratingcompressor and condenser with which the pipes 33 and 36 are connected,may be located outside of the cabinet, if desired, or may be lacedwithin a machine compartment located below the food compartment 21, saidcompartment having a removable front wall 37 provided with louvers 38.

'lhe cooling unit includes also a plurality of U-shaped loops 40 and 41,of metal of good thermal conductivity, which are arranged preferably inhorizontal rows, both branches of a loop in any row being in the planeof that row. The opposed sets of loops 40 co-operate with the header 30to provide or enclose a freezing space zone 42 therebetween which maycontain one or more metal 'sleeves 43 which are attached to andthermallyconnected with each branch of each of the loops 40.

large area of? therma contact ybetween the loops and the sleeves 43 maybe afforded..A

The sleeves 43Mmay recvenetal trays 44 containing matter to be frozen.This arrangement of loops 40 affords also a large area of thermalcontact between these loops and sheet metal thermal conductors 45 eachof which is'attached to and thermally connected with both branches oftheloops in an inner rowof loops. The plates 45 serve to isolate thespace 42 from warm air currents and to conduct heat from circulating airto the ducts 40'and thereby assist in cool' ing the circulating air andalso limit the accumulation of frost upon the loops 40. Thus the space42 is isolated from the circulating ioo 4o in 5 are intimatelyassociated with the circulating air. The loops 41, lying outwardly ofthe freezing zone, provide a cooling zone for precooling the air beforeit comes in contact with the freezing zone. The freezing zone, being y vnested within the cooling zone, is protected from the warming action ofthe circulatingair whereby a relatively low temperature can bemaintained' between the opposed loops 40 while the cooling zone portioncools the circulatin air to a desired temperature for general rerigeration within the refrigerator.

The arrangement is such that the outer loops 41 will rapidly defrostduring the idle eriods of the refrigerant compressor but the reezingspace 42, being shielded as above described, will not defrost duringsuch'idle periods to any substantial extent. It is therefore obviousthat the automatic controls for starting and stopping the refrigerantcompressor may be so adjusted that the -idle periods of the compreorwill be of such duration that the outer loops 41 will nearly orvcompletely defrost-at each idle period without at the same time reducingthe temperature of the freezing space 42 below the freezing point. By sopreventing an accumulation of'frost on loops 41 the air coolingeiliciency thereof will be substantially increased.

In case it is desired to divert slome of the 85 circulating air into thefreezing space 42 to give a more rapid cooling of the circulating air ata sacrifice of rapidity of freezing in space 42 the upper portions ofthe plates 45 mag be bent as indicated by dotted lines 45a ig. 2. Whilethe present invention contemplates the use of any suitable ducts forcooling the circulating air, the U-shaped loops 41 may be usedadvantageously since they, like the 45 loops 40, are so arranged thatboth branches of each loop maybe attached to and thermally connectedwith a thermal conducting plate, such as one of the plates 46, thisarrangement thus providing a relatively large W area of contact betweenthe plates 46 and \"lopsf41.- .'llheiplate 46 serve as thermalconductors orffins to inease-thecxilate of heat transfer between thecirculating'ir'mandv loops 41, and thus assist in cooling the sur- 55rounding air more efficiently and produce a greater amount of defrostingof the loops 41 during the idle periods of the refrigerating machine.These plates 46 also tend to sti'en the structure. c

ao Preferably, the loops 40 are joined to the header 30 before attachingthem to the sleeves 43. The loops 40 may be readily bent laterally ofthe header so that-they may be adjusted to fit snugly the side, walls ofthe 05 sleeves, in order to assist in providing a good thermalconnection between the sleeves'and loops 40. After the yunit has beeninserted in the chamber 22, the loo s 41 may easily be bent laterally ofthe hea er so that they maybe located in the most efficient air coolingposition.

While the form of embodiment of the present invention as hereindisclosed, constitutes a referred form, it is to be understood that oter forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claimswhich follow.

1 What is claimed is as follows:

1. A cooling unit for mechanical refrig-v erators comprising a header, aplurality of conduits depending from the header, certain of saidconduits being U-shaped loops'arranged in rows cooperating with-theheader to enclose a freezing space, the rows being horizontal andcontaining both branches of certain loops, the other conduits extendingdownwardly along the lopsand being located so as to be substantiallyentirely subjected to air circulating adjacent the cooling unit.

2. A cooling unit according to claim 1 in which plates are eachthermally connected with the loops and serve further to isolate thefreezing space from air currents.

3. A c oo ing'unit according to claim 1 in which plates arethermally-connected with the portions of the loops more remote from theyfreezing chamber.

4. A cooling unit according to claim l 1n which ice tray sleeves aresupported by and thermally connected with the loops.

5. A cooling unit for mechanical refrigerators comprising an enlongatedheader and a plurallty of conduits depending from the header, certain ofwhich co-operate with the header to enclose a freezing space, and cerntain others being U-shaped loops arranged in downwardly extending rows,each row containing both branches of certain loops, said last mentionedloops being spaced from the freezing -space and substantially entirely`subjected to air circulating adjacent the cooling 6. A cooling unitaccording to claim 5, in which the U-,shaped loops are arranged inhorizontal rows, and in which a plate is thermally connected with theloops in each row.

Y 7.A cooling.' unit for mechanical refrig-l erators comprising anelongated header and a plurality of parallel rows of U-shaped loopsdepending from the header, each row containing both branches of each ofcertain loops, the inner rows of loops co-operating with the header toenclose a freezing space, and the other rows being substantiallyentirely exposed to air circulating about theunit. Y

8. A cooling unit according to claim 7, in which plates areeachthermally connected with each row of loops.

`v platesare each located on the side of the row of loops most remotefrom the freezing space.

l0. A cooling unit for mechanical refrigerators adapted to be lplaced inthe path of the medium to be coole-d thereby, said cooling unitcomprising heat exchange means in intimate contact with a refrigerantand with said medium to be cooled, said heat exchange means having a.portion providing a freezing zone and including duct loops each having aplurality of aligned branchesarranged in a plane with like branches ofthe other of said loops, and another portion formed to provide a coolingzone, the material of said second mentioned portion lying outwardly ofandalong the freezing zone in the path of the circulating medium and soconstructed and arranged as to provide'a shield of heat exchangematerial for shielding the freezing zone from the action of thecirculating medium.

11. A cooling unit for mechanical refrigerators adapted to be placed inthe path of freezin the medium to be cooled thereby, said cooling 'unitcomprising heat exchange means in intimate contact with a refrigerantand with said medium to be cooled, said heat exchange means having aportion constructed and arrangedto vprovide a freezing zone, and anotherportion formed to provide a cooling zone, said second mentioned portioninclud-- ing a duct loop having a plurality of branches lying outwardlyof land alone one side of thefreezing zone in the path ofP` thecirculating medium and so constructed and arranged as to provide ashield of heat exchangeinaterial for shielding the freezing zone fromthe action of the circulating medium.` I

12. A cooling unit for mechanical refrigerators adaptedto be placed inthe path of the medium to be cooled thereby, said cooling unitcomprising heat exchange means in intimate contact with 'a refrigerantand with said medium to be cooled, said heat exchange' means having aportion constructed and arranged to provide 'a' freezing zone, andanother portion formed to provide a cooling zone, said second mentionedportion includingduct loops, the branches of one of the vlatter loopslying outwardly of and along one side of l'the freezing zone and in thepath of the circulating medium and the branches of the other of'saidlatter loops lying outwardly of and alongl another side of thefreezing zone in the path of the circulating the medium to be cooledthereby, said cooling unit comprising heat exchange means in inmeansincluding opposed duct loops each inv cluding a plurality of branchescooperating with the branches of the opposed loop to provide a freezingzone, and another conduit portion formed to provide a cooling zone,-thematerial of said second mentioned portion lying outwardly of and alongthe'freezing zone, in the path of the circulating medium and soconstructed and arranged as to provide a shield of heat exchangematerial for shielding the freezing zone from the action of thecirculating medium.

'14. A cooling unit for mechanical refrigeratorsl adapted to be placedin the path of the medium to be cooled thereby, said cooling unitcomprising heat exchange means in intimate contact with a refrigerantand with said medium to be cooled, said heat exchange means includingopposed duct loops each including a plurality of branches cooperatingwith the branches of the opposed loop to provide a freezing zone, andanother portion comprising duct loops formed to provide a cooling zone,the material of said second mentioned portion lying outwardly of andalong the freezing zone in the path of the circulating medium and soconstructed and arranged as to provide a shield of heat exchangematerial for shielding the freezing zoneV from the action of thecirculating medium.

15. A cooling unit for mechanical refrigerators comprising ahorizontally elongated header adapted to contain a quantity of liquidrefrigerant, duct means connected with the header and adapted to receiveliquid refrigerant from the header, said means being arranged in sets,one set being disposed longitudinally along and on one side of theheader and another set being disposed on the opposite side of theheader, said latter set including loops each having a plurality ofupright branches, .the upright branches of a. loop being arranged in arow with other upright branches of said set, said latter setcoopernature. e

RALPH H. CHILTON.

medium, said latter loops being so con-` structed and arranged as toprovide a shield of heat exchange material for shielding the g zone fromthe action of the circulating medium.

13. A cooling unit for mechanical refrigerators adapted to be placed inthe path of

